NJ Has Too Many Municipalities, Senator Tells Seniors

Sen. Bob Gordon outlined on Monday the coming budget debate between legislators and Gov. Chris Christie in a talk to seniors at the , but said the state's problems would only be solved by combining some of the state's 500-plus municipalities and school districts.

The gap between revenue and spending will only increase without more consolidations like the one that this year.

"Nothing is really going to happen until we stop trying to deliver 21st century services with a 19th century form of government," Gordon said.

Bergen County has 75 school districts. Gordon said the county could manage with 25.

Consolidation would cut down on the number of public employees and administrators, he said.

Gordon spoke mostly about the governor's budget. He criticized Christie for relying on overly optimistic revenue projections.

"He is projecting a pretty healthy increase in revenues, about 7.3%," Gordon said. "I and many others consider that kind of a rosy picture."

Christie plans to use the projected extra money for a 10% income tax cut. Gordon said such a cut would be more beneficial to the wealthy, since they earn more income.

Gordon and other senate Democrats propose to instead offer an income tax credit equal to 10% of each taxpayers' property tax bill. The credit would be worth up to $1,000.

The senator said he was working to help seniors afford their rent. Gordon said he and Assemblywoman Connie Wagner are developing a bill that would limit rent increases for seniors who have been living in the same building for 10 years.

About 20 seniors attended the talk. They asked Gordon not only about senior issues, but also education, funding the pension system and environmental issues.

New Jersey owes the pensions system $35 billion, and Anthony Campanali, a Paramus resident and member of the #1 Seniors Club, pointed out that Christie is the first governor to pay into the fund in years. Gordon agreed that paying down the debt, which dwarfs the size of the entire state budget, would have to be a priority.

"We are in a huge hole, and it happened in a bipartisan way and we've got to deal with that problem," he said.